Ex-Nintendo PR Managers Furious Over Switch 2 Leaks

Two former Nintendo of America employees, Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang, have shed light on the significant impact of recent Switch 2 leaks on the company. These leaks, which include alleged reveal dates, upcoming games, and mockups of the device, have caused considerable disruption within Nintendo. Images of the Switch 2's motherboard and Joy-Con have surfaced online, fueling further speculation. Despite these leaks being described as "unofficial" by Nintendo, they have stirred the company internally.

In a video on their YouTube channel, Ellis and Yang, who have over a decade of experience at Nintendo, discussed the turmoil these leaks have caused. Yang emphasized the high level of frustration within the company, humorously referencing "hot exclamation mark emails" to highlight the severity of the situation. She described the internal atmosphere as a "high stress situation" and a "pressure cooker," especially as staff are pulled into leak investigations while trying to focus on the console's upcoming launch.

Ellis acknowledged Nintendo's robust investigative team, confident that they will identify the source of the leaks. Both former employees agreed that these leaks disrupt Nintendo's plans to surprise its fans, affecting how the official announcement will be perceived. They firmly dismissed any speculation that Nintendo might be behind the leaks, stressing the company's emphasis on the "value of surprise" and its impact on their operations.

Genki Nintendo Switch Mockup Images from CES 2025

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The leaks have prompted Nintendo to consider reevaluating its product security measures, especially since it hasn't launched hardware of this scale since the original Switch in March 2017. This gap suggests that their processes for hardware reveals might need updating.

Nintendo has yet to officially reveal any details about the Switch 2, but they have confirmed that the upcoming console will be backward-compatible with original Switch games and will include Nintendo Switch Online. The console is not expected to launch during Nintendo's current financial year, meaning a release is anticipated no earlier than April 2025. An official announcement is expected in the first quarter of this year.